Combined egg carrier and delivery tray.



CUMMEE.

. COMBINED EGG. CARRIER AND DELIVERY TRAY.

' APPLICATION FILED APB.1, 1910.

1, i9 211, Patented Dec. 31, 191.2.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

vmww @0 5 H. \H. GUMMER.

COMBINED EGG CARRIER AND DELIVERY TRAY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1910.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

OFFICE.

HERBERT HARVEY CUMMEB, 01? CADILLAC, MICHIGAN.

COMBINED EGG CARRIER AND DELIVERY TRAY.

siding at Cadillac, in the county of \Vexford, in the State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined EggCarriers and Delivery Trays, of which the following is a specification.I,

The object of the invention is to provide a substantial form of holderin which the eggs can be carried about, effectively protected againstbreakage, and the cover of which may constitute a delivery tray, readilyput in place as a cover and becoming automatically locked to the body ofthe holder secure against accidental separationtherefrom, yet readilyseparable therefrom while the holder is held inverted, the cover thenserving as a tray in which the eggs are delivered with despatch andwithout danger of breakage. While substantial and durable 'the holdermay be inexpensively con- The combined cover and delivery tray requiresonly a single piece of cardboard or the like and.

the coacting formation of the holder for locking the cover in place isvery simple and easy to produce as is also the formation which providesfor unlocking.

In the drawings which accompany and form part of this specificationFigure 1 represents a cross section of the complete holder inverted fordelivery of the eggs by disengaging the tray from the holder in a mannerhere represented; Fig. 2 shows the holder in top plan view with thecover on but represented as partly broken away and a portion of the hoder also so represented; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on line 33 ofFig. 2; Fig. 4 represents the holder in side elevation inverted and thebody of the holder lifted away from the cover leaving the eggs depositedin the latter; Fig.

'5.represents a portion of one side of the holder viewed from theinterior of the latter the section being on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 withthe cover omitted; Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2;and Fig. 7 shows the combined cover and delivery tray in perspectiveviewed as a cover.

The body of the holder is made up of four side pieces A B, refer-ably ofwood, two apertured plates 5 D, preferably of tin, and a number ofseparating and supporting Specification of Letters fatent.

their small ends downward.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

7 Application filed April 1, 1910. Serial No. 552,841.

posts E, preferably of wood. The plates are engaged around their edgeswith the sides A B and at interior points are secured agalnst oppositeends of the posts E, with their apertures in alinement as illustrated 1nFigs. 1 and 6. These alined apertures provide repositories for theeggsaccommodating one dozen as here shown though of course the numbermay vary. The apertures in the plate C are here shown as octagonalthough their exact outline is immaterial, the purpose being merely toprovide openings conforming in general to the largest cross-sectionalarea'of the eggs and calculated to readily receive the same and at thesame time prohibit any considerable play thereof when deposited in theholder. When the eggs are to be placed in the holder the latter restswith the plate C uppermost (Figs. 2 and 6) and the eggs are droppedthrough the openings in said plate. The octagonal contour of theseopenings comes about by reason of the rentrant formation for confiningthe eggs in place. Thus the plate having been slit radially for eachopening, the V-shaped portions between slits are bent inwardly forming asubstantially circular series of fingers c to embrace the egg whendropped through the opening. The openings in the other or bottom plate Dare similarly formed though smaller in area since the eggs are not todrop through these openings but seat in them. Thus V-shaped fingers (Zbent in around the latter are not brought substantially to right angleswith the plate as are the fingers c with relation to the plate C, butthe base portions of said fingers cl converge to contract the openingsand their inner end portions are bent back so as to diverge and formconical or flaring seats for the eggs which are preferably droppedthrough the openings in the plate C with- It will be obvious that thepoints of the eggs will then protrude into the openings in the plate Dand the eggsback of the points will settle in the flaring seats formedby the diverging portions of the fingers d (see dotted line Fig. 6).Thus the eggs will be held out of contact and against possibility ofcontact with any protuberances which could cause breakage of the shells,and lateral movement of the eggs will be limited to very slight rockingor rolling in said seats under cause and particularly confinement byth'e fingers '0 of the upper openings. The side pieces. A B extend.sulficlently beyond the plate D to protect the points of the eggs.

The egg compartments provided by the formations abovedescribed are ofcourse relatively located to prevent any possible contact between theeggs. The supporting and separating posts E are located between theapertures so IS to firmly support the plates and stiffen the middleportion of the structure. A simple method of securing the plates to theposts is todrive nails, 'nl, through the tin intothe ends of the postsas illustrated in the drawings. At their margins the plates are firmlyheld through engagement with the side-pieces A B which formedwith'grooves or slits g as illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4i and 5,to'receive' the edges of the plates. These wooden side pieces A B arenailed or otherwise secured together around the-plates and together withthe posts E,obviously serve to give stability to the whole egg holdingstructure. The said side pieces A 13' extend considerably beyond theupper plate C to receive a cover F for protecting the eggs andpreventing them from being jumped out of the pockets or compartments-ofthe holder above described, or from falling accidentally when the holderis inverted, though said cover eventually constitutes a delivery tray,itbeling understood that it/is not a permanent portion of the holder butis left with the customer when the eggs are-delivered. Said;

cover is composed of a piece of cardboard cut across thecorners andscored and bent back all around -forming sides f, separated from eachother at the ends. These, sides are creased or scored lengthwise andbent back to'form flaps or flanges f to frictionally engage the innersurfaces of the side pieces A B and interlock with the side pieces A'aspresently explained. In bending the cardboard along the scorings orcreases the sides f and flaps or flanges 7" will be left extending at anangle to the main portion of the cover and at angles to each other, so

that insertion of the cover between the side pieces A B of theholder,-will require forc ing back of the said cover portions f and fiagainst the inherent resiliency of the materi a-l composing the coverthus creating friction between the same and the inner surfaces of saidside pieces of the holder so that there is a closeengagement all aroundand one calculated to retain the cover place, though not relied upon inthe latter connection.

In order to eiiecti'vely. sec re the cover; from any against accidentaldisplac lder ining itto through resiliis composed.

averted,

1 it ni this extthe side pieces A o v the longer sides of the cover,will spring into posited and left, the sides f thereof sei- 'fingerswithsharp edgesoif the plate latter where it crosses the opening the "holderhein i the holder are grooved lengthwise throughout a limited area atthe middle as shown at Q (Figs. and 5) the grooves tapering in depth ateach end and in cross-section and whatnormally constitute the top sidesof the grooves being abrupt shoulders a illustrated in Fig. I-l. Theeffect isthat when the pasteboard cover is forced into theh'older,middle portions of the-flanges or flaps f which extend along saidgrooves and under said aljn upt shoulders (Figs. 1, .2 and 3), owing'tothe inherent resiliency of the cardboard. This will obviously lock thecover to the holder automatically and effectively. -.The proportionof'the parts is such that the folds be tween the sides f and flanges fcontact with the upper plate C when the said flanges f so engage undersaid shoulders w.- .I'Icnce the cover will be firmly. heldtin placeover' the eggs. I

It will be seen that the above described construction providesaweryQs'iniple and efiicient manner of securely-lo the cover to theholder without requiriru; any ten ing devices which have "to bespecially manipulated. i

As before stated the {cardboard F to eventually constitute a tray onwhich to de liver the eggs and so provision made for unlocking the samefrom the holder in aconvenient manner. To this Lnd circular ope/[r ingsa are made in the sides .atintercepting the grooves a. Whentlm eggs areto he dc livered the holder is turned upside d and with the handsgrasping the side A; a finger will be inserted in'cacl r said holes a.(see Fig. 1) andtlu; ha pressed against'to disengage theni fro l theshoulders a,- whereupon the hold r will I'm 6 lifted as illustrated 111Fig. 4; us the in rmittod to verted cover, on which the eggs will be tto confine.- the eggs so that the cardboaial piece then serves as a tr:y Wlll ll is left w ith thecustomer. To avoid encouuteeof the bent inas; illustrated at 0 What I claimzis: 1. A combined carrier and traycomprising a holder ith ments for the eggs and in tori:

"fronrthe can engage automa'i' flanges tr be lat. v gagement wlth theShOHltiL.

-as and for the purpose described, r

' 2. A combined egg carrierand delivery tray comprising a holder withcompartments for the eggs and interiorcover-retaining shoulders inopposite sides, and a coverpiece having sides adapted to form a tray'for the eggs when inverted and flanges doubled back from the edges ofsaid sides and adapted to engage automatically with said shoulders whenthe cover-piece is in troduced between the sides of the holder,-- thelatter having openings in opposite sides intercepting the retainingshoulders wherebythe flanges may be laterally pressed out of lockingengagement with such shoulders;

substantially asand for the purpose de-v scribed.

3. An egg holder comprising top and bot-- tom plates with alinedopenings'and fingers surrounding the openings bent inwardly toward eachother, theopenings and fingers of the top plate being of' such size asto permit the entrance of an egg, and the fingers of the o enings in thebottom plate converging rom their bases for part of their.

. to form seats for the eggs, and separating Copies of this patent maybe obtained for and supportingposts between and secured to the plates.

5. An'egg holder comprising top and bottom plates with alined openingsand fingers surrounding the openings bent inwardly toward each"other,.the openings andfingers of the top plate being of such size asto per- ,mit the entrance of an egg, and the fingers of the opening inthe bottom'plate conver ing from their'bases for part of their lengthseats for the eggs, and spacing members termediate said plates.

6. An egg holder comprising a frame and a horizontal bottom plate havingopenings surrounded by upwardly extending fingers forming seats for theeggs. said fingers being bent intermediate their bases and" tips and thetip port-ions diverging to form said seats, and means located above saidseats for restraining lateral movement of the eggs.

7. An egg holder com'prising'top and bottom plates with alined openings,the openings of the top plate being of such size as to permit theentrance of an egg, and the openings in the bottom plate being suranddiverging toward their tips to form rounded by upwardly extendingfingers forming seats for the eggs, said fingers converging from theirbases for part of their length and diverging toward their tips to .formsaid seats.

HERBERT HARVEY CUMMER.

Witnesses:

C. J. McHUeH, C. -A.-S'm.E s: v

five cents each, by addressing the-Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. 0.

